Catching Fire: Wanderer's Version
by TerraKH
Summary: Direct sequel to my previous story. Don't read if you haven't read that. Contains OC. Jack and Katniss prepare for the events of the Quarter Quell as various Districts begin to rebel. Rumors surrounding Jack's true past and his connection with the destroyed District 13 begin to be revealed. No slash whatsoever. OCxKatniss, GalexKatniss. Peeta still has a big role. Hiatus
1. Ch 1: Trying to Forget

**Hey! So those of you read my previous story, The 74th Hunger Games: Wanderer's Version, welcome back! If you're a newcomer and haven't read that, I strongly recommend you do so before reading this since you'll have no idea what's going on or who Jack is!**

**Here is the first chapter of my version of Catching Fire:**

**I own Jack and his family!**

Chapter 1: Trying to Forget

It had been six months since we had won the Games. It seemed like so long ago that Jack and I had pulled out those berries. Haymitch had warned me of the danger that I had put us all in. It wasn't until we got home that I realized how much damage I had really done.

The first month was the best time. That was when Parcel Day had occurred. It had been worth it in that moment to see all those children's smiling faces as they opened up their gifts and looked at their piece of food.

Even now, everything had begun to go back to normal. My mother, Prim, and I had been moved to a new house in the Victor's village. We had a massive house and plenty of food and money to spare. But, not everything had gone back to normal. Ever since we had returned home, Jack and I had not talked once. Whenever the cameras came around, we clinged to one another and acted like we were lovers.

Jack had saved my life countless times in the arena, and part of my heart was for him. But, the rest of my heart was for Gale, my best friend. He and his family had been moved right next door to us, which also made me constantly have to think about him. That is where I am now.

I walk casually through District 12, looking around while waiting for Gale's shift to finish. Now that he was 18, he had gone to work in the mines six days a week. But, every Sunday, we still go into the woods to be alone. When I had first gotten home, he seemed hurt and cold toward me. I quickly figured out why: he thought Jack and I were really in love. After I had explained to him what really happened, and after he had gone to Jack discreetly and talked, he believed me.

One of the people I see a lot in the town now is Jack's sister Mist. She has raven colored hair, and is usually very cheerful toward me. I have seen their father Jason, a few times, and I can honestly say that he doesn't look how Jack had described him. He looked like an honest kind man. Mist walks up to me and hugs me. She views me as a sister now, ever since Jack and I had come home.

"Hey, Kat!" she said happily. I smile and return her hug. While I am not in love with Jack, I still view him as a friend and adore his sister.

"How have you been?" I ask her friendly. Her smile falters.

"I'm okay. Jack's been really sick lately. He says he's fine, and that he doesn't have a sickness. I've even checked him, Kat. He isn't, but something's wrong with him." she explained sincerely. I sigh, knowing the probably cause.

"Is he depressed?" I ask her, raising my eyebrows. Mist slowly nodded.

"He won't ever leave the house during the day. He leaves at night to go train, but he refuses to talk to anyone or come into town." she explained.

"I'll try and get Peeta to come with me and go check on him." I promise her. She smiles again.

"Thanks, Kat. You really do have my brother's best interests at heart." she tells me as she hugs me again and walks away, grabbing her purchases. I sigh and look around.

It is then that Rory, Gale's brother, comes up to me. "You waiting for Gale?" he asks me. I nod. "He said not to bother. He's working late today and won't be home until late. He said tomorrow you two can go to your spot to be alone." he explained. I nod.

"Thanks for letting me know, Rory." he tell him. The boy nods and runs past me. I sigh. _"Might as well get it over with now." _I decide. I turn around and head for the baker's shop at the end of the street. Peeta and I have also become friends since I've come back.

I push open the door and have to smile at the smell of baking bread that immediately fills my nostrils. Peeta comes walking up to the counter after hearing the door open. "Hey, Katniss. What's going on?" he asks me.

"It's Jack. Apparently he won't leave the house or talk to anyone. Mist asked me if I could go talk to him and I was wondering if you could come along." I explain. He looks at me, and glances behind him.

"Hang on, I'll see if my brother can cover my shift." he says as he walks back into the baking room. He returns a few minutes later dressed in casual clothes. "Alright, I'm ready when you are." he tells me, holding the door open.

I lead the way across the town, opening the gates to the Victor's Village. Peeta follows silently as we walk up to the Rikkisons' front door. I nod calmly and wait. I hear footsteps, and a minute later, Jason appears in the doorway. "Mist send you?" he asks us in a dark voice. I nod. He sighs and lets us in. "He's in the living room. Anything happens, holler. I'll hear ya." he tells us as he heads back up the stairs.

I look at Peeta, who nods. I sigh and lead the way into the living room, where Jack sits in front of the fireplace, staring silently at the flames. I clear my throat. "Jack, we need to talk to you." I try to sound firm. Jack doesn't even move.

"Jack?" Peeta calls out nervously. Jack slowly turns and looks at him. He suddenly laughs.

"I should have figured she'd go get you, Peeta. Priceless. Go on, have your laugh, both of you. See how far the wanderer has fallen." he said sadly as he sank back into his chair with a thud. His foot kicks something made of glass, which rolls over to me. I pick up the empty bottle and stare at him incredulously.

"Haymitch?" I ask, already knowing. Jack nods.

"He said it would take the pain away, so why isn't it helping?" he asked no one in particular. Peeta stepped forward.

"Come on, Jack, get up." he said softly as he hoisted him up. Jack groaned, but didn't protest. I glance at him to see how much damage had been done. Jack wore a short sleeve white shirt with a black vest over it.

"I can't believe you got drunk." I mutter as I lead Peeta outside, carrying Jack.

"Like you care." Jack replies. I choose to ignore him as we go into their massive backyard. I see some sort of fort set up in one of the tall trees and practice dummies all over the place. "I bet you wish I had just died in the arena." Jack continued to moan. I turn around slowly as Peeta drops him to the ground slowly.

"What is he talking about, Katniss?" he asks me.

"I have no idea." I tell him, lying. Jack glares at me and stands up. He lurches forward and vomits. I look away until I hear it stop. Apparently, that gets it out of his system, because he stands straight up and looks at me with knowing eyes.

"Why aren't you leaving the house, Jack?" I question him. He remains silent and stares at me.

"Jack, why are you ignoring us?" Peeta asks him impatiently. Jack looks at him.

"I don't need people. I have all I need at home. I have an unwanting father and a sister who's the only one who really cares about me. What else could I desire?" he says seriously, staring at me. I sigh.

"I guess this was a lost cause." I say out loud without meaning to. I realize a second too late that I said it loud enough for them to hear as Jack whirls around and heads for the back door.

"It's obvious you can't stand me! I wonder why I though we had something back after the Games ended. By the way, we're both gonna be mentors this year, so have fun by yourself. I'll be getting drunk with Haymitch!" he yells furiously as he slams the door behind him. Peeta looks at me and raises his eyebrow. I sigh as we head out, taking the route around the house.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asks me. I rub my temples.

"Right now, I just want to try to forget."

**Did you like the first chapter? Did it catch your attention? Right now, RTDoD is my main focus so only expect updates about once a week. I'm out now, so review and see ya!**


	2. Ch 2: Unwanted Visitor

**Sorry it's been a while since I've updated this. Exams were killer. But, I'm back for a few weeks so that's good, right? Shout outs:**

**AngelicWinds: Lol, I don't think he'll listen to any of us right now.**

**Shadowdragon1317: Yeah, hopefully he'll come out of it soon.**

**13TheAce: Lol, I know right? With how he talks about the Capitol when he's sober, who knows what he'll say drunk?**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: That's why I did him like that. There have been a lot of people call Jack a Gary Sue and say he's so perfect that he makes Katniss look weak. That's not how I want him to appear.**

**I own, Jack, Mist, and Jason.**

Chapter 2: Unwanted Visitor

I wake up the next morning very tired. I had been up most of the night wondering why Jack is in this broken state. I decide to let those thoughts pass for now and head to meet Gale, my "cousin." It had happened while I was in the Games. The Capitol came for interviews with my friends, and they all pointed to Gale. But since Jack and I were going for the lovers angle, the adults dubbed him my cousin.

I pass the baker's shop where Peeta and I wave at each other. I don't stop, though, and keep walking until I reach the fence. I slide underneath and walk into the woods, heading for our usual spot. I it down and wait. I don't know how long I sit there, but I decide to look behind me and he is standing there, silently watching me. "Do you have to do that, Gale?" I ask as I jump up and hug him. He smiles as he returns my hug.

"You just look so beautiful in the sun, Catnip." he tells me. I push him gently as we sit down.

"So, what's the deal with Jack? I heard you and Peeta went and talked to him, and it didn't go too well." he asks me. I sigh.

"I don't know what's wrong with him. Peeta and I tried to talk to him, but he's as drunk as Haymitch." I explain. He looks at the ground.

"He's a tough guy, you know. He had to be to kill those freaks." he tells me. I nod silently.

"I'm sorry for how I hurt you when we were in there." I say for the millionth time. He shrugs his shoulders.

"You were doing it to stay alive. I would have done the same. I wouldn't have let him die if I were in your place." he tells me as he leans close to me. Before I realize what's happening, his lips meet mine. I am startled for a few seconds, but then I return his kiss. We pull apart, and he looks away. "I had to do that at least once." he tells me. I smile and begin laughing at him.

"You know my heart is with you, Gale. Any future of me and Jack is Capitol-made. I didn't choose it." I reassure him. He nods slightly.

"So what about Peeta then? You've been spending a lot of time with him." he pushes. I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Peeta and I….there's nothing between us, Gale. I promise you that." I tell him firmly. He nods and looks at me.

"I believe you." he replies as we look at each other. He stands up and holds his hand out to me. "We should go. My shift starts in less than an hour." he explains. I nod and let him pull me up. We walk back together and return to the town unnoticed, like always. Gale heads home to get ready for his shift, and I decide to return home as well. I am startled when I reach my street in the Victor's Village.

There is a car parked in front of my house. I can tell it's from the Capitol, and I instantly know who my unwanted visitor is: Snow.

I walk inside and my mother comes up to me, accompanied by a man in a black suit. She wears a worried expression as the man directs me through my own house. "This way, Ms. Everdeen." he tells me, pointing to the study. I slowly walk in, hearing the door shut behind me. I immediately smell the mix of rose and blood(Is it a rose in the books? I can't remember)

"Please sit, Ms. Everdeen." President Snow points to a chair in front of the desk at which he sits. I slowly sit down and face him. He shows no signs of anger. On the contrary, he appears rather calm. "Do you know why I'm here?" he asks me. I clear my throat.

"I suppose to address the rumors of the other Districts rebelling." I guess. He nods.

"Very good. Some of the Districts are on the verge of revolution. Do you know what has ignited this spark of rebellion?" he asks me. I nod.

"The berries that Jack and I used in the arena." I answer. He nods.

"Right again. Now, there are things I need to address. The first is, the boy, Jack. You are star-crossed lovers, yes? Then why is it that you are always with your cousin or the baker's son, hmm?" he asks me knowingly. I know what he is getting at.

"I am not deliberately rebelling in front of everyone by not seeing him. Jack has gotten….unapproachable lately." I tell him. Snow nods.

"But for the sake of all of Panem, I must remind you how delicate this situation is. I know about the kiss." he says, leaning forward. I look at him in shock as he smiles. "You disappear into the woods every day with your "cousin" and you kiss. You also spend a great deal of time with the baker's son. Both of them I can easily kill off. An accident in the mines, the baking ovens overloading and exploding. Surely you don't want these things to occur?" he says to me. I look at him with as much loathing as I dare.

"What must I do?" I ask him forcibly. He leans back and looks around.

"The Victory Tour is coming up soon. You must prove to the crowds that you and this boy are not examples of rebellion, but of mercy. Aim high in case you fall short." he explains to me as he stands up to leave.

"What do you mean? How high do I aim?" I ask him. He smiles.

"Convince _me_." he tells me, smirking evilly as he walks out the door. I walk out and look out the window as the car quietly speeds down the street and out of sight.

I ignore my mother's questions as I run out the door and head a few houses down. I bang on the door until someone opens it. "Katniss, what's wrong?" Mist asks me as she leads me into their living room. Jack is nowhere to be found, but I saw Jason walking out the door behind me.

"Where is he?" I ask her urgently. She frowns.

"He went into the woods to blow off steam. I took away all his alcohol. I don't even know when he started drinking that, but I got him off it." she tells me.

"How'd you do that?" I ask her. She smiles.

"He got sick of not being able to sit down." she laughs hintingly. I get what she's saying as I walk out their back door and into the woods behind their house. I hear yelling, and the sound of metal hitting wood. I walk back into the woods as the noise gets louder. I stumble into a clearing where Jack stands with his back to me hacking away at a wooden dummy. He mercilessly swings at it. Sweat pours off of him as he finally cuts it down the middle. He sticks the blade into the ground and wipes his face with a towel.

"What do you want? Here to gloat?" he asks coldly without turning around.

"Jack, President Snow just came to my house." I start. He slowly turns and regards me.

"Yeah? What do you want from me?" he asks indifferently. I storm up and slap him across the face.

"He threatened us, Jack! All of us! You, me, Gale, Peeta, Haymitch, everyone!" I scream at him. He backs away, holding his face where I hit him. "I'm sick of your attitude too, Jack!" I shriek at him. He looks at the ground.

"I'm sorry." he says sincerely. I sigh.

"What's wrong, Jack?" I ask him. He shakes his head.

"I can't tell you yet." he replies.

"Why not?" I demand.

"I just can't, alright? Don't ask Mist or my father, because they won't tell you either." he says firmly. I sigh as I grab his wrist.

"Well, if nothing else, you're coming home. I trust this is the end of your drinking stage?" I ask him. He nods, ashamed.

"That ended right after you and Peeta left yesterday. I woke up with a nasty hangover." he explains. I sigh as I lead him in the back door, where Mist is waiting for us.

"When you're ready Jack, we should talk. The Tour is coming up soon and we need to talk about several things." I tell him. He nods as Mist makes sure he sits down. She looks at me and gives me a look of thanks.

"Don't worry about Jackie here. I know my brother better than anyone. He'll be ready whenever you need to talk to him." she assures me. I smile, having to say something.

"I wonder where the fearless, headstrong boy from the arena is. The boy in front of me is scared of his sister." I say jokingly. Jack glares at me.

"Just wait, Katniss. I'll get you back." he promises me. I smile as I bid them goodbye and walk out the door. I head back home. I decide not to tell my mother why Snow was really here because I know it will just worry her. I pass the rest of the evening talking to Prim about which dress she likes the best from the catalog that Cinna sent me a few weeks ago. When I lay down to go to sleep again, I can't help but keep thinking about Snow's warning.

"_Impress me…Impress me…..Impress me"_ Those words kept floating around in my head until I finally fell into a restless sleep.

**How was it? Good? Bad? Great? Review and let me know!**


	3. Ch 3: Who to Tell?

**Sorry for the delayed update. Shout outs:**

**TheEighthLight: Thanks, you too!**

**AngelicWinds: Lol, Mist is a tough woman!**

**Shadowdragon1317: Lol, well of course! You will, but I don't know how long until you do. **

**13TheAce: Well, most of them do win in the end, don't they?**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Lol, don't we all?**

**I own Jack, his "sister" and his father.**

Chapter 3: Who to Tell?

I wake up the next morning very early and find my prep team waiting downstairs. I had completely forgotten that they would be coming to ready me for the cameras again as Jack and I leave for the victory tour. "Katniss, your eyebrows!" Venia exclaims as I walk into the living room. Flavius almost faints at my leg hair and Octavia and Venia immediately get to work on my eyebrows.

"I doubt Jack has this much hassle." I mutter in irritation. Venia smiles warmly at me.

"Well, he's a young man. They have it easy, don't they?" she says, trying to cheer me up. I smile back at her, but gasp as Flavius waxes off a large portion of my leg hair.

After all of that is done, I sit on the couch until Cinna arrives, bringing with him several dozen dresses that I am to choose from for Jack's and my wedding. I have no interest in the topic, considering my heart is with Gale and possible Peeta. Nevertheless, I pick one and spend almost an hour trying on dresses. Finally, after that is done, I have a chance to sit down.

The peace doesn't last long, however, as I'm led out of the house toward the train station. I am able to share a quick goodbye with Prim and my mother as I meet up with, Jack, Portia, Haymitch, and Effie and board.

Despite knowing that I won't be returning to the arena, being on the train again makes my heart stop. Jack looks at me somewhat dazily, as if he is still a little bit drunk. "Are you alright?" he asks, and I instantly smell it on his breath.

"I thought Mist said you had stopped drinking the alcohol." I whisper as we sit down in the chairs facing each other. Jack shows a small smile.

"Well, Mist doesn't control my whole life, now does she?" he replies as Haymitch sits down next to us.

"You'll get used to it, kid." he says to Jack and looks at me. He narrows his eyes at me, knowing something's up.

"Is there somewhere we can talk, Haymitch?" I practically whisper, looking around me. Haymitch stares at me for a second, before nodding and leading me and Jack to the very back cabin of the train. The room had only one light and was used for storage.

"So, one of you mind telling me what's going on?" he asks as we sit down on boxes. Jack leans back against the wall, waiting for me to speak. I clear my throat.

"Yesterday, Snow came to my house. He said that Districts are rebelling because of what I did, and that if I don't get them to believe that I wasn't rebelling, everyone I love is practically dead." I say, my voice breaking. Haymitch nods slowly.

"I figured that would come." he says quietly. Jack clears his throat.

"We need a plan. If thirteen Districts are on the verge of rebellion, then we'll be hard-pressed to stop them." he says seriously. I look at him immediately.

"Jack, there's only twelve Districts." I remind him. He blushes, and I watch him curiously.

"That's what I meant." he says quickly. Haymitch cleared his throat.

"Well, you know what this means, right?" he asks us. We shake our heads simultaneously. He sighs. "It means that there is no possible future where you two aren't married and live happily ever after." he explains to us. I immediately shake my head.

"Haymitch, there's….." I begin, but he cuts me off.

"Katniss, listen to me. This boy was your best bet in that arena, and he paid off. He is still your best bet at survival. Now, he's no Gary Sue, meaning he's not invincible. I'm sure there are reasons why he's so good at fighting and all that. You have to trust each other and stand together. You're not weak, Katniss. You're strong and you can defend yourself without his help. So don't be afraid. Same goes for you, Jack. If the crowds sense that you're afraid, they'll think you're being forced, imprisoned, and other things. It will only encourage them to rebel more. Don't be afraid." he implores us. Jack and I look at each other again, and I see the coldness from before in Jack's eyes now. I begin to understand him.

"Jack, none of this is your fault." I tell him. He shakes his head.

"No, Katniss, it's _all_ my fault. We got that medicine to keep me alive. I trusted the system and it turned on us. If I had died, none of this would be happening. It is my fault. It all is. I know you don't love me, Katniss, and I don't love you either. But you would be my second choice, at least. How do you think I feel? You spend most of your time with Gale, who you're really in love with. When you're not with him, you're with Peeta. How would you feel if I ran around District 12 with three or four different girls and never talked or spent time with you, after everything between us when we were in the arena." he bursts out all at once. Halfway through talking, he stands up and kicks a box into the wall, breaking it open and the contents scattering across the floor. I look at the ground, letting Jack's words sink in.

How would I feel if he had been running around the town with several girls and never talking to me even as a friend? I would be acting worse to him than he had been to me. I understand his pain, and I understand why he was being so cold. Because I realize that deep down, I do have feelings for him. But, there's too much competition for it to win out.

"Jack, I'm sorry." I am finally able to say. He nods, heading for the door.

"So, since we're "pretend" lovers, let me know what I'm not allowed to do. I wouldn't want to have to answer to Gale, after all." he mutters harshly as the door hisses open and shuts behind him. Despite his words, I completely know that Jack isn't afraid of Gale one bit. Jack no doubt could take Gale on and beat him. I understand him, but I don't love him. That's what I resolve as I walk out, leaving Haymitch alone.

END KATNISS POV…

Haymitch sighed. "You're kid's a real handful, you know." he said. A man stepped out of the shadows.

"He is what he was supposed to be. We couldn't have asked anything better of him. Haymitch nodded as Jason sat down next to him and held the disk of information that Haymitch had given Jack last year before they entered the arena. "This has helped a great deal. Haymitch, please keep an eye on him, on both of them." Jason asked him. Haymitch nodded.

"Do you want me to keep him away from the alcohol?" he asked him, smiling. Jason nodded.

"There's no point in giving him another way out of sobriety. It's hard enough keeping him intact at home. Haymitch, for a while I was sure it would all be fine, but now, I think Jack….I think Jack is becoming unstable." he confided, holding his head in his hand. Haymitch nodded.

"We expected that to happen eventually, though." he replied. Jason nodded as he stood up.

"Katniss is the one who will bring down the Capitol. We knew from the beginning what it would mean to protect her. This is Jack's story, and it will go the way he wants it." he said in resignation. Haymitch laughed quietly.

"He and Katniss better be able to pull off the lovers angle or we're doomed before we even start." he replied. Jason nodded. The light in the ceiling flickered for less than a second, but after the flicker Jason was gone. Haymitch stood up and walked out, heading for the alcohol car.

**And so the bigger plot begins to be revealed. What did ya think?**


	4. Ch 4: The Night before the Tour

**Hey here's the last update for this story since I'll be gone all week. Three shout outs:**

**13TheAce: Jason knows a lot more than you think. There was a major hint at the future of this trilogy in that scene.**

**Shadowdragon1317: Jason isn't evil in this story, I promise. Thanks!**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Here's a hint: One of them doesn't survive to the end. *laughs maniacally***

**So to any who haven't reviewed as of yet, please do even if you didn't like it. Tell me how to improve or your opinions on the story, but please no flames. Anyway, I own Jack and his family.**

Chapter 4: Night before the Tour

Later in the night, I am lying down trying to sleep. I am haunted by nightmares, though. I twist and turn. I move my legs as if I am running, which is what I am doing in my dream. In my dream, I am chasing something through the forest. I hear a voice. _"Katniss!"_ I urgently sprint toward the sound to find Rue trapped under a net. I attempt to cut her free but she dissolves into thin air.

I freeze after hearing a growl from behind me. I slowly turn to see the mutt version of Glimmer lunge at me. _"Katniss!"_ Jack's voice yells. He appears in front of me and the mutt topples on top of him. He forces her off and stands up. He turns and looks at me. _"You alright?" _he asks dazily. I look behind him as Cato comes running at him with a bloody sword.

"Jack!" I scream. Jack turns around to see Cato's sword coming.

"_Katniss!" _he yells again.

I wake myself up screaming. "Katniss, what's going on?" Jack's voice comes from the doorway. I see his face silhouetted against the shadows and I see a flash of silver close to his waist. He steps into the room holding his sword at the ready. "Katniss, did somebody come in here?" he asks, holding his sword out and checking the corners. I shake my head.

"No, it was just a dream." I tell him, trying to sound fine. He gives a small grin as he puts his sword in a sheath at his side.

"That was no dream. That was a nightmare." he tells me, sitting down on my bed next to me. I stare at him.

"You get them too?" I ask. He nods slowly.

"But I had them before the Games. I trust that yours started after?" he says. I nod.

"How long have you had them?" I ask him curiously. He sits silently for a moment, as if debating whether to tell me or not.

"As long as I can remember." he finally answers. I throw my feet to the side of the bed and sit next to him.

"What are they about?" I ask, trying to find some way of comforting him, as he did me the night before the Games. He looks out the window and stares at the moon.

"This and that….." he begins. I think he is going to stop there, but he doesn't. "Sometimes, I see…..visions, and flashes. I don't know when they happened, but I feel the same age in those visions, so they couldn't have been long ago. I'm not here just as a normal person, Katniss. I have a mission. I remember my mission and how I got here, but not how I became who I am." he trails off mysteriously. I think for a moment, trying to take in this information.

"So, what's your mission then?" I ask him, knowing the response.

"Can't tell you that. Besides, my problems aren't yours. I'm sorry Gale isn't here to offer you more comfort." he tells me, standing up to leave. I grab his wrist.

"Jack, please don't go." I ask him. He looks at me without emotion.

"Katniss, as you've pointed out, there's no space in your heart for me. Your heart is all for Gale and Peeta. I don't understand why you enjoy playing me like this." he says, going back into his cold tone that he had adopted since the Games. I angrily glare at him.

"Jack, what are you talking about? Do you wanna go there?" I ask him heatedly, standing up to face him. He shuts the door before he can walk out. He strides back over to me and stops a foot from my face.

"Yeah, let's go there! Maybe I'm just stupid, but I thought we had something when we were in the Games! I knew it was just an act at the beginning, but I fell for you for real, Katniss! I thought maybe you had at least considered the same, but I guess not!" he yells. I hear voices coming from out in the hallway now.

"Jack, you have no right to expect anything like that from me!" I shriek in disbelief. Jack looks at me with cold fury in his eyes.

"Expect? You thought I expected you to? You really don't know me at all, Katniss! Remember the days when you thought I was unpredictable? Well, I'm pretty predictable now, huh? Predictable to be stupid! FINE, I GET IT, KATNISS! NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN DANGER AND NEED SOMEONE TO SAVE YOUR LIFE, DON'T COME CRYING TO ME!" he roars so loud I know everyone on the train heard him. I look at him in utter shock as he whirls around and storms out, slamming the door so hard that the hinges crack.

I sink onto my bed, not believing what had just happened. Jack had never blown up like that before. I must have really hurt him. He's my best bet at surviving this thing with Snow. He's the best chance we have. There's no way I can do this without him, and now I've thrown him away.

"_What have I done?"_ I ask myself as Effie and Cinna come rushing in to make sure I'm okay.

JACK POV….

I storm down the hallway, refusing to think about my mission. I end up outside Haymitch's room and knock loudly. When there's no answer, I throw the door open and find him asleep on the floor, an empty bottle in his hand. I pick it up, and throw it down as hard as I can, shattering it. He jumps up slashing the air with a knife, and I lazily knock it out of his hand and push him onto his bed.

"What do you freaking want, Rikkison?!" he yells angrily.

"Shut up and listen!" I roar angrily. Haymitch raises his eyebrows and looks at me in annoyance.

"I'm listening." he says when I stay silent.

"I can't do this anymore. She hates me, and she makes every attempt to throw me away. I can die for all she cares! I'm telling you I can't do this!" I tell him angrily, trying to keep my voice down. Haymitch looks at me, slowly nodding.

"Well, I understand how you feel, but you know there's nothing I can do. It's too late to back out now, and you know it." he tells me calmly. I look at the ceiling and scream as loud as I possible can.

"I'm sick of being told what to do! I'm sick of not being able to choose my own destiny, and I'm sick of trying to make Katniss like me! She can't stand me and we all know it! Why can't you just accept that?! She will never even like me! She despises me to no end and wants nothing to do with me!" I yell, trying to make him see sense. I hear the smallest creak from outside the door and sigh.

I walk over to the door and throw it open. Katniss stumbles forward into the room. "Hatred turns to eavesdropping now, huh?" I say coldly and walk right past her out of the room without looking back.

KATNISS POV…..

"What was that about? I heard something about him not wanting to do this anymore?" I ask Haymitch. He sits back against his headboard and rubs his temples.

"I honestly don't know, sweetheart. Please leave me to go to sleep in peace. That boy's given me a nasty headache." he replies. I nod and walk back to my room. "Might want to talk to his Majesty before you go to bed, though." he mutters as the door shuts. I sigh, knowing I should.

I check his room and am not surprised to find him not in there. I check the whole train and see no trace of him. I sigh, realizing where he is. I step onto the ledge of the back car and climb the ladder up onto the roof. My hair blows in the wind as the train hurls along the tracks. I see him sitting a few cars down, a bottle in his left hand. I walk over to him and stand behind him.

"I don't want to talk to you right now. Please leave me." he says without turning around. I sigh and sit down next to him.

"No. And if you don't change your behavior, I'll go talk to Mist the second we get back home." I warn him calmly. He sniggers and calmly smiles. He looks down and stares at the liquor bottle, twirling it around in his hand.

"Home. Home." he repeats the word. "Something of no value to me, since I haven't got one." he says, downing the rest of the bottle's contents and chucking the empty bottle off the train. I stare at him.

"You have a home, Jack. Your home is District 12." I tell him firmly. He shakes his head.

"You said yourself it was weird that I had never been seen before the Reaping. Ever think about that one?" he asks me, laughing drunkenly. I stare at him curiously.

"Why did the Capitol people call you the Loner Wanderer?" I ask him. He continues staring at the horizon.

"Because they couldn't find any records of my life in District 12 before the Reaping. They assumed I wandered around the District instead of going to school or taking on a job. I was always alone, too. I guess that's why." he explained.

"So you really aren't from District 12." I realize. He nods quickly drunkenly, and suddenly stops, looking at me.

"I wasn't supposed to say that!" he exclaimed angrily.

LATER THAT NIGHT…..

"You slipped up." Jason said as they stood on top of the train alone.

"It was a mistake, caused by the liquor." Jack replied immediately. Jason nodded.

"You are not to drink alcohol, Jack, and you know it. Your sister will have your hide when she finds out." he said slowly. Jack shook his head.

"She won't find out. And can't we stop with the "sister" thing, already? I'm sick of it! We both know she isn't!" he asked in irritation. Jason shook his head.

"No one can know. You know that, Jack. This time you are warned. Do not slip up again, or you know what will happen." he warned. Jack burst out laughing.

"I'm more scared of Mist's anger than you, "Father." he practically spat the word from his mouth in distaste. Jason looked at him seriously.

"I _am_ your father, Jack. And it matters not what you are afraid of, as long as you don't slip up again." he told him firmly as a tunnel could be seen coming up ahead of them. "Remember your training, because now is the time to bear fruit." Jason told him. Jack nodded. Jason smiled as a shadow passed over where he was standing, and he was gone. Jack smirked as the tunnel reached the train. He swung down the side of the train and flew into a window right as the tunnel reached his car.

**Ton of information, I know. Sorry, but I hope it was an eventful chapter and didn't drag on. Next chapter? You guessed it, the Victory Tour!**


	5. Ch 5: The Victory Tour

**Heya! Shout outs:**

**Shadowdragon1317: Will they ever make up? Maybe.**

**13TheAce: Funny, I thought all those were pretty obvious.**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Yeah. I'm not revealing anything else right now.**

**I own you know who.**

Chapter 5: The Victory Tour

The train pulls into District 1 early the next morning. The crowd welcomes us with cheers and applause, but it's obvious that every one of them hates us. I look at Jack, who is responsible for the deaths of both Tributes from this District. He seems unfazed by anything, though. Or he could just be hiding it from me. I wonder if we are still on speaking terms.

We stand at the Justice Building and give our speeches to the crowd. Mine mainly consists of thanking them for supporting who they wanted to win and how that would help everyone in the long run and all kinds of garbage. Jack very simply gets up and says that he thanks them for watching him fight to keep both me and him alive.

Most of the Districts regard us the same way. Some Districts I can tell hang on to our every word, though. I can't help but remember what Snow told me: the Districts are on the verge of revolution. All it would take is one spark to make everything catch fire.

Jack doesn't speak to me or look at me the entire time. It isn't until we get to District 11 that I see any kind of emotion on his face. The families stand at the front of the crowd, facing us. Jack thanks the people of District 11 for the great friend I had in Rue and for Thresh, who saved my life. Jack goes on to say that he should have died in Rue's place, but since he is still here, he will do his best to live in her memory.

I follow with a passionate speech about both Rue and Thresh, and smile at the families. When I give several crates of food out of my personal room on the train to them, both families look at me in surprise and gratuity. I can't help but feel good as Jack and I head into the Justice Building. As I am walking inside, I hear the whistle that Rue taught me in the arena. I turn around to see the one who made the noise, an old man. He gives me the three fingered salute. The doors shut, but not before I see a Peacekeeper force him to his knees and put a bullet through his head.

I gasp as I whirl around, running in the direction that Jack and Haymitch had disappeared to. I burst into the room to find the two alone and instantly run into Jack's arms. He is startled for a moment, but slowly puts his arms around me. "What's gotten into you, sweetheart?" Haymitch asks me. I look up with tears in my eyes as I slowly tell them what I had seen.

Jack sat down and rubbed his forehead while Haymitch leaned against the wall, thinking hard. "You've seen how delicate the situation is. They've taken your actions from the arena to be rebellion. Both of you." he explained. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Both of us? She's the one that pulled out the berries." he says in surprise. I have to agree with him, too.

"But, you also cut out and destroyed your tracker, pretty boy." Haymitch reminds him. Jack sighs and leans back.

"That was on purpose, though." he says quietly. I roll my eyes.

"Oh come on, Jack. We're in this together, and I need your help. I can't keep fighting you over everything. Don't you care about Peeta, Gale, and Mist? If we don't keep this up to satisfactions, Snow will target them because of us." I tell him, trying to keep my voice from rising in anger. His eyes snap to mine.

"What do we need to do?" he asks Haymitch. Haymitch sighs.

"We have to put on the best show that the Capitol has ever seen. And there's always the Quarter Quell to think about. You two will be mentors." he tells us.

"I'm not mentoring." Jack immediately says.

"Oh yes you are. I've done it for twenty-five years straight. I want a break." Haymitch says calmly as he grabs a bottle and heads for the door.

"What now?" I ask Jack. He shrugs his shoulders.

"Why are you asking me? I guess the only thing to do is get home and try to figure this out. In a month, they'll announce what horror the Quarter Quell will have, so now's the best time to get our act together." he says as he stands and heads for the door. I grab his arm.

"Jack, I'm sorry. For everything." I tell him. He looks at me emotionless.

"I believe you, but I don't know if I can forgive you yet." he replies. I look at him and sigh as he walks out, leaving me to head to the train by myself.

**I know it was short! Please don't hate me! I tried, but I just couldn't make it longer. Sorry! Hope you still liked it, though. **


	6. Ch 6: Gale, Jack, or Peeta?

**It's been so long since I've updated this story, I'm sorry! This is still under hiatus but I decided to at least give you another chapter for now. Shout outs:**

**AngelicWinds: I don't know, haha! You're not horrible! Don't ever think that! We all get busy!**

**13TheAce: Ha, I don't even think he cares, do you?**

**Shadowdragon1317: Yeah, but isn't that why you love him, haha? I do like his attitude in this more than in my KH universe, though. **

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Eh, no. Haymitch…..needs a break from getting drunk, haha!**

**Alright, you know I don't own Hunger Games. I just own the Loner Wanderer and his family.**

Chapter 7: Gale, Jack, or Peeta?

As soon as we get home in District 12, Jack and I cling to each other like the lovers we claim to be. The cameras follow us around all day since this is the end of the Tour. I realize that everything I went through was worth it when all of the people get their own bundle of food. I stare around in awe at all of the happy faces around me. I look at Jack, and see that even he has some sense of joy in the happiness that we brought to our district.

As soon as the cameras disappear, though, he lets go of me and fades in to the crowd. I groan inwardly at him, wondering if I've lost one of my best friends for good. I quickly drive Jack from my mind as Gale comes up and hugs me tightly. "Look at all the happiness you brought here, Catnip!" he exclaimed happily. I look around and nod. Another part of goes back to District 11 and how the people are already rebelling from the Capitol. I realize that Jack and I failed to calm the crowds, and now we are going to pay the price.

I sigh as he sees my distant look. "What's wrong, Catnip?" he asks me worriedly. I shake my head.

"It's nothing, Gale. Say hi to your family for me. I need to head home and see my own." I tell him. He nods, hugging me one more time before we both disappear in the crowds of celebration.

The minute I walk in the door, I call the bakery with my telephone. I am very relieved when it's Peeta that answers. "Hey, Peeta, do you mind coming over to my house? I need to talk to you about something." I ask him.

"Sure thing. My shift's done in ten minutes. I'll be over after that." he quickly tells me. I thank him and hang up.

I don't have to wait long before my doorbell rings. I quickly let him in and we sit down in front of the fire together. "What's going on, Katniss?" he asks me as we get comfortable. I sigh as I fill him in on the events of the Tour, including the rebellion of District 11 and Snow's visit to my house. "Have you told Gale?" he asks me. I shake my head.

"I haven't been able to see him alone yet." I tell him. He sighs.

"Well, what about Jack? Is there anything he can do?" he asks me, trying to find some way to help. I sigh again.

"Jack and I…aren't doing very well right now. He barely even talks to me, and when he does, it's so forced that it isn't worth it." I explain quietly. Peeta nods slightly for a few seconds.

"Well, I say let's get Mist and go talk to him again." he tells me. I laugh quietly.

"Because that worked so well last time." I reply, like a smart-aleck.

"Well, take him to the woods with you or something and try and talk to him. I mean, Katniss, you realize that if you and him aren't gonna pretend to be lovers, the Capitol will kill you both on the spot, don't you?" Peeta presses on me desperately.

"I know, Peeta. I just don't know how to convince Jack to talk to me." I reply, somewhat heatedly. Peeta gets up and kneels in front of me.

"Katniss, you do whatever you have to do. I can't lose you, alright? I…..I love you." he tells me, stuttering. I stare at him in shock. He shakes his head. "I know it doesn't matter, but if you die then I wouldn't be able to live." he finishes quickly. I stare at him, not knowing what to say. He sighs and stands up. "Just think about what I've said, alright?" he tells me, heading for the door. I hear it shut behind him and then hear silence.

The next day, I decide to head for the pond deep in the woods where my father used to take me as a child. There was a stone hut next to it where we would always eat our fish at. By this time of year, there is snow all over the ground as I hike through the woods toward the clearing.

It takes me at least a couple hours to make it to the pond, but as soon as I stumble into the clearing, I hear a gun click behind me. "Who's there?" I calmly demand as I hold my hands up in the air. I can hear two sets of footsteps behind me. One's face has a hood covering him up as he slowly walks around in front of me and looks at my face. Their eyes widen at the sight of me and I can tell that they are about to say something when I hear metal sliding out of a sheath. A sword appears at the person's neck before they can say anything.

"Drop the gun, or she dies." Jack tells the other person, holding his sword over the person's neck in front of me. That is when I realize that she is, in fact, a girl.

"You're late." I tell him, smiling slightly. He remains stone-faced as he glances at me.

"I could have decided not to be here at all. You were smart to convince Peeta to join your cause. At least you were smart enough not to come begging yourself." he replies as the gun at my back lowers.

"You….you're Jack Rikkison! And you must be Katniss Everdeen!" the person behind me exclaims, another woman.

"You're not from District 12." Jack says as we turn around together to look at the two woman.

"No, we're from Eight. It's been overrun." the one with the gun tells us.

**Kinda short, but better than nothing, right?**


	7. Ch 7: News of the Uprising

**I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Still, only three shout outs to acknowledge:**

**13TheAce: Oh, you'll see how they do.**

**Shadowdragon1317: I hope you love this version of it, too!**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Lol, which makes it even harder to figure out how it will end, huh? I see you changed your avatar again!**

**Alright, so since I've stopped regular updates, I've been reading Catching Fire again, and it has renewed my want to get on with this story! So, back to the Wanderer's Version of the Hunger Games! That is, if I even still have any readers left for this story….**

**I own Jack, Mist, and Jason.**

Chapter 7: News of the Uprising

"What do you mean, it's been overrun?" Jack asks immediately. The woman sets her gun down.

"It's a long story." she begins. Jack lowers his sword warily as I point to the shack across the lake.

"Let's at least get inside first." I tell them. The two women nod and begin to move over there, but Jack stays rooted to the spot, looking everywhere but at me.

"Jack, just come inside and listen to them. You don't have to talk to me, but it will save me having to explain it all to you later." I tell him calmly. He gives me an almost unnoticeable nod and waits for me to walk in first.

Inside the hut, I see they have a tiny fire going with a tin can inside the flame. From the smell, I can tell they're cooking pine needles into a tea of some kind. As the two women settle down and relax on top of an old Peacekeeper's cloak, I sit close to the fire and keep an eye on their tea. Jack doesn't sheath his sword. Rather, he stands guard in the doorway with it at the ready.

"My name is Twill, and this is Bonnie." the older woman starts, gesturing to the younger one. Bonnie smiles at me, and I can't help but smile back.

They go on to tell me their story. Twill was a schoolteacher, and Bonnie was one of her students. After the final bell rang, they each went to a four-hour shift in the factory. They had been planning the escape for months, but it took them that long to secure the Peacekeeper uniforms, piece by piece. I find out that the night after the Victory Tour was over, the citizens of District 8 gathered in the square with masks on, and all hell broke loose.

They met with early success, managing to take control of the Justice Building and other essential landmarks. But soon, Peacekeepers arrived by the thousand, quickly toppling the rebels. A lockdown was issued across the district, and no one left their homes for weeks. Finally, when everyone was about to drop from starvation, they got the notice to return to their normal lives.

Due to the streets being full of dead bodies from the Peacekeepers' wrath, Bonnie and Twill were an hour late for their shift, which was when the factory exploded. Deciding to make a run for it, the two made it to the station where, in their uniforms, they boarded a train.

They jumped off at a fuel-stop, and made their way through the woods and reached the outskirts of District 12 a few days ago. "So where are you headed?" Jack asks them.

"District 13." Bonnie tells us.

"What?!" Jack bursts out, but quickly silences himself. I glance at him curiously, but don't comment.

"13 got blown off the map. There's nothing left there." I tell her. Twill smiles.

"They show the same footage every time they show it on television." she informs me.

"How do you know?" I ask her.

"You can see the flash of a Mockingjay every time at the end." Bonnie chimes in. I think back to all the previous times I watched the broadcast. I can't remember. I think back to the cracker I saw Twill have.

"So why do you have that symbol?" I ask her. She stares at me.

"You don't know?" she asks me. I shake my head.

"It means…" she begins, but is cut off.

"It means the rebellion has begun." Jack finishes, not taking his eyes off the door. I glance back at him in confusion. She nods to confirm his comment. I gasp.

"So Snow's visit to me was all over nothing? There really was no way to stop the uprisings?" I ask Jack angrily. He slowly nods.

"He just didn't want us doing anything to further stipulate the Districts' anger." he tells me. I sigh.

"We need to talk to the others, Gale, Peeta, Haymitch…." I tell him. He shrugs his shoulders.

"You can do what you want. I'm getting some liquor from Ripper. I'll let the Hob traders know you won't be coming today." he tells me, putting his sword in its sheath and heading for the door.

"Don't make me tell Mist you're drinking again." I warn him. He rolls his eyes.

"Relax. I'm getting it for Haymitch, in case there's a shortage again." he tells me, but I still don't believe him.

"I'll walk back with you." I tell him. After thanking Bonnie and Twill for the information, I give them all the food in my pack, which is enough to last them a couple weeks if they ration it right, and set off with Jack. About halfway back, I stop him. "You go on ahead. I'm gonna wait for Gale." I tell him calmly. He rolls his eyes.

"Do what you want with your boyfriend." he tells me emotionlessly as he disappears through the brush. I don't even hear snow crunching underneath his boots. I wait in my usual spot for Gale to show up.

I don't know how long he's been standing there, but when I look up, he's watching me. "Hey, Catnip." he tells me as he comes and sits down next to me. I can tell he's still hurt by my romance with Jack. I decide to just tell him everything.

"President Snow gave a direct death threat to you and Peeta." I begin. He raises his eyebrows.

"Anyone else?" he asks.

"Both of us, our families, Peeta's family, Jack and his family, and probably Haymitch." I name off. He looks at me, and I fill him in on everything from the Victory Tour and Snow's visit to my relationship with Jack. He nods slowly and stares at the ground.

"So you don't love him?" he asks me. I sigh.

"I don't know how I feel about him, or you, or Peeta. I'm just so confused right about everything, and I'm scared about what the Capitol will do to us." I explain to him. He stands up, and I see a dead turkey hanging on his belt.

"It's getting late, we should head back." he says, holding out his hand. I take it as he pulls me to my feet. We begin the short walk back to the fence.

Everything is normal as Gale climbs under the fence and waits on the other side. I sense no danger until I hear the bush behind me rustle. "Katniss, stop!" Jack whispers harshly. I draw my hand back as I realize what he's talking about. Gale notices it too and gasps: the fence's electricity has come on.

"It's never on!" I exclaim. Gale looks at me, helpless.

"If you touch it, it's over, Katniss." he tells me.

"I know." I tell him, trying to think of a way through the fence. Jack offers no suggestions. Gale looks at him.

"Keep her safe?" he pleads. Jack nods.

"You don't have to worry about that." he tells him. Gale nods and looks back at me.

"I'll try and go talk to Cray. Maybe he can be reasonable. Let's hope he's had some of Ripper's liquor." he tells me. I nod, and watch him go running across the meadow and disappear.

We wait for almost two hours, but he doesn't come back. "Something's happened, Katniss. We need to find our own way over." Jack says. I hate to admit it, but he's right.

"Well, we can't go under. We can't go through. That leaves it to going over." I tell him. He nods.

"Not so tough." he mutters as he begins to climb a tree. I watch him as he climbs high enough to be over the fence. He slowly walks out onto a branch that extends past the fence. He braces himself, and leaps off. I gasp as he soars through the air.

He lands with a soft thud and quickly rolls after his landing. He's on the safe side. "Your turn." he tells me. I nod at him and climb the tree. I take my time going out onto the branch. I reach the end and lower myself to where I'm hanging on by my hands. "We don't have all day." he mutters. I hear him and frown. I brace myself as I let myself fall.

My feet hit the ground, right before I fall onto my back. I can tell my left heel is hurt, but the rest of me seems fine. Jack sighs as I pick myself up and he leads the way back.


	8. Ch 8: Security Measures

**Hey, all four of you reading this! Shout outs:**

**AngelicWinds: Yep, but Jack was fine! I believe it's called a love "square", lol.**

**13TheAce: They never seem to realize until it's too late, haha.**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: You know, I sent an e-mail to my agent asking her if she knew about that. She was shocked that they were leaving such big roles out like them and Darius.**

**Shadowdragon1317: Thanks, I'm glad some people like this story!**

**You know what I own! More and more secrets surrounding Jack's true past will come to light later in the story! I have an equally enticing back story for him as the one from the Wanderer's Trilogy.**

Chapter 8: Security Measures

I stumble into town with Jack at my side. I quickly think of some way to explain my long absence. "I need to go to the market. Will you come with me?" I ask him, not wanting to lose the safety his presence provides. He nods after a second.

I go around to the different stalls and pick up bandages, soap, and a bag of peppermints for Prim. "What else do we need?" Jack asks. I stop to think, and it only then dawns on me that we are now the only ones in the market.

"Where is everyone?" I ask him. He shrugs his shoulders, but his face quickly turns grim. "What?" I ask him. He looks at me quickly.

"There's a noise coming from the square." he tells me. We immediately begin to head in that direction.

No sooner have we reached the square than we run into a wall of people. I hear them mutter things at me. "Get out of here, girl."

"Get him killed, for sure."

"Only make it worse." they mutter. I look questioningly at Jack. He forces his way through the crowd a bit, and I see Mist appear at his side. Both stare at the center of the square, where I still can't see what's going on. I see Jack whisper something to Mist, and she nods before walking back to me.

"I'm gonna walk home with you. Jack said that he and Haymitch will be there in a few minutes. Peeta's already there." she tells me.

"What's going on?" I ask her. She shakes her head.

"It's better to find out in a minute." she tells me. Within ten minutes, we are walking up my front steps. My heel is absolutely killing me, so I trudge in the front door with every intention of falling to the floor in pain.

Instead, both Mist and I stop in surprise at the two Peacekeepers sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for me. My mother stares at me worriedly while Peeta and Prim are drawing pictures by the fire. "Did you have a nice walk?" my mother asks me. Peeta and Prim look over.

"It looks like she's turned into an icicle. What'd you do, sit in the snow until you turned blue?" Peeta asks me in a casual joking manner. I stick my tongue out at him.

"Peeta, don't make me send you to your corner." I threaten jokingly. The two Peacekeepers stand up warily.

"Where have you been, Ms. Everdeen?" the woman asks. I sigh loudly.

"It'd be easier to ask where I haven't been." I tell them as I walk over to the table and set my bad down. It takes every ounce of will I have to not limp or show any signs of pain.

"Peeta, leave her alone, she's had a long day." Mist tells him as she sits down at the table, not leaving my side. I'm grateful that she understands the sincerity of the situation.

"What's in the bag?" the woman Peacekeeper presses. I stare at her for several seconds, before flipping the bag upside down and dumping the contents on to the table. Both of their faces fall in surprise as my mother picks up the soap and bandages. Prim and Peeta come over and tear into the candy.

"Anything else you need?" I ask them. The man begins to head for the door when the woman speaks again.

"The new head Peacekeeper, Thread, wanted us to let you know that the fence will be on twenty-fours a day from now on." she tells me. I knit my eyebrows in confusion.

"Wasn't it already?" I ask, knowing that I'm pushing it. The two Peacekeepers glare at me as they move to the door. It shuts with a clang behind them, and I sink into my chair.

"What happened?" Peeta asks immediately.

"Something in the square. Jack and Haymitch stayed to take care of it. I hurt my ankle." I tell them. My mother immediately begins to handle my leg while Peeta heads out to find the others and figure out what's going on.

About a half an hour later, Jack, Haymitch, and Peeta come slowly walking in the door, a stretcher held up between them. I look at the person they are carrying and gasp.

It is Gale.

FLASHBACK(JACK'S POV)…

I force my way through the crowd and see the whipping post set up. I watch in disgust as an unfamiliar Peacekeeper hoists Gale up by the wrists and begins to whip his back. I already know the reaction Katniss will have. Luckily, Mist appears at my side. I tell her to take Katniss to the house and wait for us there.

No sooner have they left than the Peacekeeper delivers another dozen strokes to Gale's back. I angrily push my way through the crowd, but someone beats me up there. A red-headed Peacekeeper tries to stop the new one from hitting Gale again. I recognize him as Darius, a friend of Katniss'. The new one immediately hits Darius in the head with the butt of the whip, who falls down, knocked out instantly.

I walk onto the stage as the whip is drawn back again, my sword already in my hand. I raise it just in time to block the whip, which wraps around my blade several times, but does no more damage to Gale, who is already unconscious. The Peacekeeper smiles at the sight of me. "Defying the law and carrying a weapon. Violation of two laws at once, young man." he says hungrily. That's when Haymitch appears.

"How dare you talk to a Victor like that? Don't you recognize Jack Rikkison? What do you live under, a rock?" he yells angrily. The Peacekeeper takes a closer look at me, and I see a flicker of recognition.

"He still is violating the weapons law." he tells Haymitch.

"He was given that sword as a memento of his victory! That boy is his future cousin-in-law. If you want to touch him again, you'll have to go through both of us." he tells the Peacekeeper. I hear one of the other Peacekeepers call him Thread.

"How are these things usually dealt with?" he asks his fellows. One of the others, a woman from the Hob, speaks up.

"The required amount of lashes has been given. Unless you sentence death, which is by firing squad." she tells him. Thread nods slowly, yanking his whip back, uncoiling it from my blade, also covering me with Gale's blood.

"Well, tell your cousin that the next time he's caught poaching, I'll assemble that firing squad." he tells me. He coils his whip into neat little loops and walks away, followed by his fellows.

As the crowd disperses, Haymitch and I waste no time in finding a stretcher when Peeta arrives to help us. He tells us that Peacekeepers were at her house, so we quickly get Gale on the stretcher and set off toward the Victor's Village. We walk in Katniss' front door, and she gasps at the scene we bring.

END JACK POV, BEGIN KATNISS POV…..

"What did they do to him?" I ask them.

"New head Peacekeeper." Haymitch tells us grimly. My mother nods and immediately begins to work on Gale. Jack looks at Mist.

"Can you get his mother?" he asks her.

"Of course." she tells him, setting off out the door. Jack turns to me, and I run into his arms.

"Thank you so much, Jack." I tell him, bursting into tears. He lets me cry for a few moments, but soon he lets me go.

"I have something I need to take care of. Peeta, can you sit with her?" he says. Peeta nods and walks over from where he had been watching us. He and Jack shake hands. I had forgotten that they were friends, too. In less than a second, Jack is gone.

After a few minutes, Mist comes back with Hazelle, Gale's mother. She pulls up a chair and sits next to Gale, stroking his hair. I sit with Peeta's arms around me, hoping beyond hope that Gale will be alright.

Several hours later, my mother and Prim come walking into the room as Haymitch returns from the bathroom. Jack still hasn't returned. "We'll continue to watch him. For now, it's the best we can do." she informs us. Haymitch agrees to stay the night, as does Peeta, but I send him home. While Haymitch provides some security, Peeta staying here will just endanger his family. Mist decides to stay, as well, but for now the only one I have eyes for is Gale. I walk into the kitchen to find him lying on his stomach, his face shining with sweat. I stroke his hair soothingly, but his pain is so intense. I eventually fall asleep at his side, my hand intertwined with his.

I wake up later in the night in the same position and feel a strong presence. I look over to see a shadow of Jack's face in the doorway. "Jack?" I say. He has a sad look on his face, but he doesn't comment. He steps toward me and puts something on the table next to Gale: a vial of medicine. "How'd you get this?" I ask him in shock as I pick it up and examine it. As I thought, it's the same stuff he used in the arena to heal his shoulder.

"I swiped it in the hovercraft when they thought I was sedated. I knew it would come in handy. Here, put it on him." he tells me, opening it and putting it in my hand.

"Will you stay here for the night?" I beg him, longing for the security to sleep again. Haymitch had been watching the door for awhile, but was probably drunk beyond repair right now. After a few seconds, Jack nods.

"I've got my blade with me. I'll be close by. Whisper my name if you need anything." he promises me.

"Thank you." I tell him sincerely as he disappears into the next room. As he disappears, I begin to think. I think about Jack and Peeta. Both boys know my heart lies with Gale, and yet they would do anything for me. What exactly is so special about me, anyway? I know Peeta loves me, but who knows what's going on inside Jack's head? He's mentioned his "mission" before. I can't help but wonder what it is that he's still not telling me. Only time will tell. That's what I decide as I fall asleep next to Gale again, having finished putting the medicine on his back.

**A longer than usual chapter! I hope you like it! I stayed up really late to finish and post it!**


End file.
